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1 CN BC: PUB LTE: Pot Dispensary Says It Is Aiding The CommunityThu, 27 Dec 2012
Source:Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC) Author:Danny, Area:British Columbia Lines:48 Added:12/30/2012

Re: 'Medicinal pot needs to be dispensed by doctors' (Your Letters, Dec. 20)

We are a medical marijuana clinic. Our patients must have a prescription from their doctor and/or their MMAR forms from Health Canada.

There is a list of over 80 medical conditions that marijuana is useful for on our website and we have over 280 members and rising quickly. We are no closer to any schools than the local methadone clinic.

Our store does not intend to harm the community, we do not sell to minors or non-medicinal patients.

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2 CN BC: LTE: Doctors Against Changes To Medical MarijuanaWed, 26 Dec 2012
Source:Daily Courier, The (CN BC) Author:Reid, Anna Area:British Columbia Lines:48 Added:12/29/2012

The Canadian Medical Association and the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada are deeply concerned about the advancement of a regulatory proposal to reform the medical marijuana access program.

These reforms may place an unacceptable degree of responsibility on physicians, given the relative lack of evidence regarding the health benefits of medical marijuana. If Health Canada no longer screens applications for use of medical marijuana, this essentially makes the physician the sole decision-maker.

Physicians should not be expected to prescribe medical marijuana unless it meets the regulatory requirement for prescription medication established under the federal Food and Drugs Act. We strongly believe that the same safety and evidence standards applied to pharmaceutical health products should be applied to medical marijuana.

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3 CN BC: PUB LTE: Social Workers Need More InfoMon, 24 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Author:Ciancone, Will Area:British Columbia Lines:53 Added:12/29/2012

Regarding Government Oversteps In Grow-Op Case (The Daily News, Dec. 19).

I'm concerned about the lack of information this ministry worker had yet she has the power to remove children from families. With great power comes great responsibility.

How can this worker make this factless claim and this family then have to spend time, money and worry in order to satisfy the ministry they can keep their family intact when the whole issue stems from a power-tripping woman bent not on fact but personal opinion in taking children away from their family.

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4CN BC: Municipal Officials Applaud Medical Pot LicensingSat, 29 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Cleverley, Bill Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2012

Local municipal officials are welcoming proposed changes in federal legislation surrounding the production of medical marijuana.

Both the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Union of B.C. Municipalities have raised concerns about illegal grow-ops being converted to medical grow operations, said Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman, who sits on the federal group's board.

The proposed changes - Health Canada plans to take itself out of the production and distribution of the substance and open up the commercial market to companies that meet "strict security requirements" - appear to address that concern. Production of the substance would no longer be allowed in private homes.

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5CN BC: Pot Baker In Clear, But More Battles May LoomSat, 29 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Dickson, Louise Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2012

The head baker of the Cannabis Buyers' Club of Canada will be acquitted of two outstanding drug offences - but medical-marijuana fans shouldn't celebrate too quickly.

Lawyers say the Crown has left the door open to appeal a landmark medical-marijuana ruling that allowed people authorized to use marijuana to drink it in tea or bake it in brownies or cookies.

In April, Owen Smith won a constitutional challenge against Health Canada's medical-marijuana laws. Smith had been charged in December 2009 with possession for the purpose of trafficking and unlawful possession of marijuana after the manager of the Chelsea apartments on View Street complained to police about a strong, offensive smell wafting through the building.

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6 CN BC: PUB LTE: Drug Users Should Pay Health-Care CostsMon, 24 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Author:Seymour, Dan Area:British Columbia Lines:42 Added:12/29/2012

Should marijuana be legalized? As an individual I have no problem with legalizing marijuana.

Let the government grow it, tax it, and sell it to those that find it necessary to live their life. I do not think it is my position to tell people what they can and cannot consume.

If you want to poison yourself, far be it from me to stop you. What I object to is paying these individuals with my tax dollars for welfare, income assistance, housing allowance, health-related problems, etc. When people make the decision to take a drug they should be responsible for the problems it brings.

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7CN BC: Guard Arrested On Boxing DayFri, 28 Dec 2012
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Luymes, Glenda Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2012

A prison guard at Kent Institution could find himself on the other side of the bars after he was arrested for allegedly smuggling marijuana and meth into the maximum-security jail.

Paul Fleming, 42, was arrested at Kent at 6 a.m. on Boxing Day and charged with two counts of trafficking a controlled drug, according to an RCMP news release.

"The RCMP and Correctional Service Canada (CSC) have been working together throughout this investigation," said Upper Fraser Valley RCMP Const. Tracy Wolbeck. "This partnership led to an arrest without incident and the two agencies will continue to work together as this case moves through the court system."

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8 CN BC: When The THC Hits The FanFri, 28 Dec 2012
Source:Nelson Star (CN BC) Author:Nesteroff, Greg Area:British Columbia Lines:84 Added:12/29/2012

Nelson City Council Debates Marijuana

While Washington state voters approved decriminalizing marijuana this year, the idea of supporting a similar initiative in BC unleashed the greatest furor around the Nelson city council table in recent memory.

In June, councillor Donna Macdonald introduced a motion asking the mayor to join eight of his counterparts in backing Stop the Violence BC - a coalition of academics, law enforcement officials, and others hoping to "starve organized crime of the profits they reap as a result of [marijuana] prohibition."

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9CN BC: Editorial: Grow Ops Pose Risk To Us AllThu, 27 Dec 2012
Source:Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2012

There will be a lot of smiling and nodding and happy faces at the news that federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is taking aim at marijuana growers who are hiding behind current laws to operate illegal drug businesses.

Nobody wants illegal grow-ops in their neighbourhoods or in their communities. We all pay for the electricity they steal. We all pay for the service costs they dodge.

Nobody wants the dangers associated with living next door to such operations.

There is always the very real risk that their colleagues in crime will bring violence to their "place of business" - which can easily spill onto the streets as they "protect their interests" or into nearby homes through "mistaken identity" or even into local shopping malls as they engage in open battle.

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10CN BC: Vernon Gang Linked To Seven SlayingsThu, 27 Dec 2012
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Fraser, Keith Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2012

GREEKS: New details emerge about drug ring involved in B.C.'s longest criminal jury trial, cops say

They were convicted in three drugrelated slayings, but police suspect they were also involved in four other murders.

In November, five members or associates of the Greeks gang in Vernon were found guilty of three grisly deaths following the longest criminal jury trial in B.C. history.

But what the jury didn't hear was the full extent of their crimes, police say.

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11CN BC: Political Activist Uses His Creativity To Enjoy LifeFri, 28 Dec 2012
Source:Alberni Valley Times (CN BC) Author:Dobson, Kristi Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/29/2012

Mik Mann is known for his passion for pot, but he is also a man who uses his creativity and ingenuity to live a life he enjoys. A political activist, Mann is primarily self-taught in his knowledge, but made a living using his hands.

Born and raised in Toronto, Mann went to work right out of high school. Jobs were plentiful through the 1970s and 1980s and he was able to move around to various positions.

He got behind the wheel driving a cab and as a courier for the Bankers Dispatch Company, but construction and painting were his trades of choice. While in the big city, Mann became interested in racing an Austin Mini car as an amateur when the vehicle was first introduced to Canada.

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12 CN BC: Homelessness, Childhood Trauma, Put Youth At Risk ForWed, 26 Dec 2012
Source:Toronto Star (CN ON) Author:Fong, Petti Area:British Columbia Lines:102 Added:12/29/2012

VANCOUVER-The turkey has just gone into the oven but the smell of frying onions and sage wafts down into the TV room, a hint of the smells to come later this Christmas Day.

Lying on the couch, the young woman in red pyjamas is checking Facebook on her phone. The other woman, in a black knit beanie pulled low over her forehead, is eating a plate of rice and beans.

A short while ago, they were living on the streets in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Their back stories are murky and questions are discouraged.

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13 CN BC: LTE: Like Smoking, We Should Start Anti-Pot CampaignFri, 28 Dec 2012
Source:Cowichan Valley Citizen (CN BC) Author:Elley, Reed Area:British Columbia Lines:53 Added:12/29/2012

I read with interest your recent editorial on medical marijuana.

When I was deputy health critic of the Reform Party official opposition back in the late '90s, along with the other critics led by Dr. Grant Hill, we did an exhaustive study on medical marijuana.

Even though we came out in favour of it long before the government approved it, we were aware that it would have to have major restrictions put on its use and distribution. Now after several years, the present government doing its due diligence has determined, after listening to the experts at Health Canada, that it is out of control. If this is true then of course something has to change. Tougher restrictions will have to be introduced.

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14 CN BC: PUB LTE: CMA's Medical Marijuana Concerns Are MisplacedWed, 26 Dec 2012
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Stepanenko, George Area:British Columbia Lines:72 Added:12/27/2012

Re: CMA decries medical marijuana changes, Dec. 17

It is commendable that in the matter of cannabis as medicine the Canadian Medical Association is hewing to Hippocrates' maxim, "never do harm," but I believe their fears are misplaced.

Had the decades-long debate over cannabis been driven by science and intellectual honesty, rather than fear and political expedience, doctors like Anna Reid would be familiar with the numerous studies, many of them sponsored by governments, rigorously scientific, showing the herb to be relatively benign.

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15 CN BC: Editorial: A Few Bad SeedsFri, 21 Dec 2012
Source:Maple Ridge News (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:63 Added:12/24/2012

The federal government is bent on pushing medical marijuana grow operations out of residential homes.

Crime and safety - home invasions, faulty wiring and mould - are the main reasons, and the plan has the backing of fire chiefs in B.C.

An apartment fire in Maple Ridge on Dec. 13, which left dozens of people homeless, illustrates their concerns, as investigators found three grow ops on the second floor, where the fire started, and which they believe was electrical in origin.

But Health Canada has said that the proposed legislation, which would regulate medical marijuana grow ops and push them to industrial or agricultural areas, where they would be subject to inspections, will drive up the purchase price.

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16 CN BC: Editorial: Eager To Fight Grow-Ops NowThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Abbotsford Times (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:54 Added:12/24/2012

There will be a lot of smiling and nodding and happy faces at the news that federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is taking aim at marijuana growers who are hiding behind current laws to operate illegal drug businesses.

Nobody wants illegal grow-ops in their neighbourhoods or in their communities.

We all pay for the electricity they steal. We all pay for the service costs they dodge by not paying taxes on their enterprising activities.

Nobody wants the dangers associated with living next door to such operations. There is always the very real risk that their colleagues in crime will bring violence to their "place of business" - which can easily spill onto the streets as they "protect their interests, or into nearby homes through "mistaken identity" or even into local shopping malls, as they engage in open battle with one another.

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17 CN BC: Editorial: Eager To Fight Grow Ops NowThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Chilliwack Times (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:52 Added:12/24/2012

There will be a lot of smiling and nodding and happy faces at the news that federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq is taking aim at marijuana growers who are hiding behind current laws to operate illegal drug businesses.

Nobody wants illegal grow ops in their neighbourhoods or in their communities.

We all pay for the electricity they steal. We all pay for the service costs they dodge by not paying taxes on their enterprising activities.

Nobody wants the dangers associated with living next door to such operations. There is always the very real risk that their colleagues in crime will bring violence to their "place of business"-which can easily spill onto the streets as they "protect their interests" or into nearby homes through "mistaken identity" or even into local shopping malls as they engage in open battle with one another.

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18 CN BC: Pot Knowledge GrowsThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Maple Ridge Times (CN BC) Author:Rantanen, Maria Area:British Columbia Lines:66 Added:12/24/2012

Changes To Health Canada Regulations Will Move Legal Pot Growing Into Specific Zones

A medical marijuana dispensary in Maple Ridge passes on information about how to use pot to help manage medical conditions.

Michael Joinson, founder and president of The Always Growing Green Society (TAGGS) medical marijuana dispensary in Maple Ridge, said the society provides their members with a wide-range of information about cannabis and he doesn't think Health Canada's proposed changes to pot dispensing rules will allow those who use it for health reasons to get the right kind of information.

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19 CN BC: Family, Ministry Disagree Over Inspection CostsThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Author:Young, Michele Area:British Columbia Lines:100 Added:12/23/2012

'We're still out $3,700 in expenses. So there is still no Christmas for my family'

A mother threatened with having her children taken away because her husband has medical marijuana plants believes the Ministry of Child and Family Development has quietly offered her an olive branch by paying the cost of air testing in her home.

Angela Ferguson said Wednesday she spoke with the company that did the testing and was told she didn't have to pay the $1,000 bill because the ministry had.

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20 CN BC: Rule Change No Surprise, Lawyer Says Changes FollowTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Author:Youds, Mike Area:British Columbia Lines:60 Added:12/23/2012

A shift in federal policy governing medical marijuana users will have an up side and down side, says a Kamloops lawyer.

Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq announced in B.C. on Sunday that Ottawa plans to end a Health Canada program allowing people with health conditions to grow pot in their own homes.

Aglukkaq said the current regulations have left the system open to abuse, causing great concern among law enforcement, fire officials and municipalities dealing with illegal grow-ops. By March 2014, only companies with strict security requirements will be licensed to grow and sell marijuana.

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21 CN BC: Column: Legalize More Drugs To Protect The PlanetThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Author:Charbonneau, David Area:British Columbia Lines:77 Added:12/23/2012

We can grow some drugs locally and fair-trade drugs can supply the rest.

Following the principles of the 100-mile diet, medical marijuana is best grown close to home to reduce transportation costs and support local growers. Kamloops' city council is sensibly looking at zoning of industrial land for marijuana crops and the federal government wants to reduce small grow ops in favour of larger facilities.

However, it's not practical to grow drugs such as coca and poppies close to home. And practicality aside, many of these growers could benefit from fair trade and legalization.

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22 CN BC: Medical Pot Home Grow-Ops To EndFri, 21 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria News (CN BC) Author:Palmer, Daniel Area:British Columbia Lines:80 Added:12/23/2012

Prescription-Use Marijuana To Be Produced Commercially

The federal government is poised to eliminate licensed medical marijuana grow-ops in homes, recognizing long-standing safety concerns and connections to the illegal drug trade.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced this week Health Canada is getting out of the growing business and will phase in a new system of strictly regulated commercial producers.

"We have heard real concerns from law enforcement, fire officials and municipalities about how people are hiding behind these rules to conduct illegal activity, and putting the health and safety of Canadians at risk,"Aglukkaq said in a statement. "These changes will make it far more difficult for people to game the system."

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23CN BC: Childhood Abuse, Life On Street Linked To UseFri, 21 Dec 2012
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:McKnight, Zoe Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/23/2012

A pair of multi-year studies from the B. C. Centre for Excellence in HIV/ AIDS and UBC found that homelessness and childhood abuse are linked to intravenous drug use in youth.

Two separate studies set out to determine why some young people begin to inject heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, or opioids while others do not.

They were funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the U. S. National Institute on Drug Abuse as part of a larger initiative looking at various stages of a drug user's life story and the outcomes of addiction.

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24 CN BC: LTE: Medicinal Pot Needs To Be Dispensed By DoctorsFri, 21 Dec 2012
Source:Alberni Valley Times (CN BC) Author:Spencer, J. D. Area:British Columbia Lines:36 Added:12/23/2012

I take great exception to Mr. Swadden's claim of harassment by the community concerning his medical marijuana store.

Let's get the facts straight. This marijuana store was licenced and opened in Nanaimo close proximity to schools with no information on safety or operating restrictions given to the public.

Since it's opening we have had trespassing, thefts, break and enter and used condoms and syringes left in the street where children and pets can access these contaminants.

Medical marijuana should be regulated by pharmacies, pain clinics and the medical profession. It should be distributed near medical facilities where they belong.

There doesn't appear to be any attempt by Mr. Swadden to work with the public and he may claim there is no connection between the increase in criminal activity, but the old saying goes where there is smoke, there's fire.

J.D. Spencer

Nanaimo

[end]

25 CN BC: Editorial: Government Oversteps In Grow-Op CaseWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:57 Added:12/23/2012

One of the most overt examples of government intrusion into the homes of its citizens is when the state threatens to take away kids from their parents.

There are times when it's appropriate for social workers to apprehend children: when kids are denied the essentials of life, are physically abused or are living in a situation where their lives are in imminent danger.

The incident that happened in Kamloops on Nov. 28, in contrast - when it's alleged social workers threatened the apprehension of a family's kids - can only be described as an abuse of power.

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26 CN BC: Editorial: Eager To Fight Grow Ops NowTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Maple Ridge Times (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:51 Added:12/22/2012

There will be a lot of smiling and nodding and happy faces at the news that federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq is taking aim at marijuana growers who are hiding behind current laws to operate illegal drug businesses.

Nobody wants illegal grow ops in their neighbourhoods or in their communities. We all pay for the electricity they steal. We all pay for the service costs they dodge by not paying taxes on their enterprising activities.

Nobody wants the dangers associated with living next door to such operations. There is always the very real risk that their colleagues in crime will bring violence to their "place of business" - which can easily spill onto the streets as they "protect their interests" or into nearby homes through "mistaken identity" or even into local shopping malls as they engage in open battle with one another.

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27 CN BC: Putting A Dent In The Drug TradeWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria News (CN BC) Author:Palmer, Daniel Area:British Columbia Lines:65 Added:12/22/2012

HMCS Ottawa Plays Key Role In International Enforcement Operation

Local singer-songwriter Vince Vaccaro wrote his hit Costa Rica to illustrate a tired man yearning for a fresh start along the shorelines of the picturesque Central American country.

"Can I lose my name, be someone new, and I'll throw my troubles into the wild blue," Vaccaro sings.

For the crew aboard a Costa Rican fishing vessel last month, the lyrics couldn't have resonated more, as the HMCS Ottawa emerged out of the rain and fog of the Pacific Ocean.

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28 CN BC: Neighbour Wants Legal Grow-Op GoneThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Author:Klassen, Andrea Area:British Columbia Lines:106 Added:12/22/2012

Deb Sharkey had lived in her Brocklehurst duplex for about a dozen years when things began to go downhill.

On the other side of the duplex, her neighbours, also longtime residents, installed vents in their windows.

Soon, a noxious smell was floating through the neighbourhood several days each month - "the most strongest skunk you've ever imagined," Sharkey said.

Sharkey, whose former partner was an RCMP officer, knew the signs and called Kamloops Mounties to have the grow-op next door investigated.

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29 CN BC: Editorial: Grow-op Solution?Wed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Coquitlam Now, The (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:52 Added:12/22/2012

There will be a lot of smiling and nodding and happy faces at the news that federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq is taking aim at marijuana growers who are hiding behind current laws to operate illegal drug businesses.

Nobody wants illegal grow-ops in their neighbourhoods or their communities.

We all pay for the electricity they steal. We all pay for the service costs they dodge by not paying taxes on their enterprising activities.

Nobody wants the dangers associated with living next door to such operations. There is always the very real risk that their colleagues in crime will bring violence to their "place of business" - which can easily spill onto the streets as they "protect their interests" or into nearby homes through "mistaken identity" or even into local shopping malls as they engage in open battle with one another.

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30CN BC: Column: Proposed Changes To Medical Marijuana ProgramThu, 20 Dec 2012
Source:Vancouver Sun (CN BC) Author:Mulgrew, Ian Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/20/2012

The federal government has ignited a great debate with its recently announced plans to overhaul the 13-year-old medical marijuana program because it is far too popular.

The numbers and the burgeoning size of the legal pot market are so staggering Ottawa is trying to slow it down and at the same time eliminate home growing.

If registration continues apace, Health Canada estimates that by 2014, more than 50,000 people will be authorized to legally possess pot for their ills.

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31 CN BC: Medical Pot Growing Rules ChangingTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Maple Ridge Times (CN BC) Author:Hooper, Roxanne Area:British Columbia Lines:99 Added:12/20/2012

Producing medical marijuana in homes will be phased out, according to proposed new regulations announced Sunday in Maple Ridge

A Sunday afternoon press conference in the training room of Maple Ridge's main fire hall saw changes announced that could put the kibosh on people growing medical marijuana at home by spring 2014.

Under the guise of being legal, there are many pot growing homes around Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows - and likewise across the country - - that must be banned, Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq told a room of media, local politicians, as well as police officers and fire officials.

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32 CN BC: Rules Change For Medical MarijuanaWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Maple Ridge News (CN BC) Author:Martins, Monisha Area:British Columbia Lines:98 Added:12/20/2012

The federal government is poised to eliminate licensed medical marijuana grow ops in homes that have long been criticized for safety concerns and connections to the illegal drug trade.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced in Maple Ridge on Sunday a planned shift to a new system of federally regulated commercial producers of medical pot who will supply authorized users with prescriptions from doctors.

"Under our new rule, only facilities that meet strict security requirements will be able to produce marijuana for medical purposes," Aglukkaq said.

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33 CN BC: Editorial: Eager To Fight Grow Ops NowTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Langley Advance (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:52 Added:12/20/2012

There will be a lot of smiling and nodding and happy faces at the news that federal health minister Leona Aglukkaq is taking aim at marijuana growers who are hiding behind current laws to operate illegal drug businesses.

Nobody wants illegal grow ops in their neighbourhoods or in their communities.

We all pay for the electricity they steal. We all pay for the service costs they dodge by not paying taxes on their enterprising activities.

Nobody wants the dangers associated with living next door to such operations. There is always the very real risk that their colleagues in crime will bring violence to their "place of business" - which can easily spill onto the streets as they "protect their interests" or into nearby homes through "mistaken identity" or even into local shopping malls as they engage in open battle with one another.

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34 CN BC: PUB LTE: The Time For Fear-Mongering About Pot Is OverTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Daniel, Edwin E. Area:British Columbia Lines:61 Added:12/19/2012

Susan Martinuk, in her Dec. 15 column "Legalized marijuana opens Pandora's box," provided an inaccurate and incomplete set of claims about marijuana and its claimed dangers.

I write, not as a user, but as a pharmacologist who has followed the sordid story hyping dangers of pot since the LeDain Report of the 1970s. That report summarized the claims about the dangers of marijuana and also compared them to the consequences of the illegality of marijuana use, something Martinuk ignored. It recommended legalization.

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35 CN BC: Human-rights Complaint LaunchedTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops This Week (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:37 Added:12/19/2012

A Kamloops woman who claims a legal medicinal-marijuana grow caused government social workers to temporarily remove her family from their Dallas home says she's launching a human-rights complaint.

Angela Ferguson said Ministry of Children and Family Development social workers booted her family - including her eight-month-old son, 15-year-old stepson and medical-marijuana cardholder husband - from their home on Nov. 28.

According to Ferguson, social workers showed up alongside RCMP, who were responding to a tip about a grow-op. Ferguson said Mounties checked her Health Canada papers and went on their way, but the social workers did not.

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36CN BC: Criminologist Says Medical Marijuana Laws Don't Go FarWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Nanaimo Daily News (CN BC) Author:Bellaart, Darrell Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/19/2012

New medical marijuana access rules don't go far enough, say Nanaimo's medical health officer and a Vancouver Island University criminologist.

By March 2014 Health Canada will no longer produce and distribute medical marijuana, or licence patients to access medical pot, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced Sunday.

Cannabis sold for $5 a gram through the program is heavily subsidized and the government plans to offload production to authorized suppliers, while making doctors the sole "gatekeepers" to the drug.

Having marijuana prescribed by doctors, rather than licensed by Health Canada could eliminate access delays of up to six months for patients.

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37 CN BC: No More Authorized Home Marijuana Grow-OpsTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:59 Added:12/19/2012

The federal government is poised to eliminate licensed medical marijuana grow-ops in homes that have long been criticized over safety concerns and connections to the illegal drug trade.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has announced a planned shift to a new system of federally regulated commercial producers of medical pot who will supply authorized users who have a prescription from their doctor.

"Under our new rule, only facilities that meet strict security requirements will be able to produce marijuana for medical purposes," Aglukkaq told a press conference in Maple Ridge on Sunday, Dec. 16.

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38CN BC: Vancouver Chief Cheers Medical Marijuana ChangesTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Province, The (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/19/2012

Reduce Risk: Move To End Ability To Grow In Own Homes

Vancouver's police chief is applauding the federal government's move to end a program that allows people with medical conditions to grow marijuana in their own homes.

Chief Jim Chu, who heads the Canadian chiefs of police association, says the change will help reduce the risk of criminals exploiting medical marijuana because only companies meeting security requirements will be able to grow and sell the drug.

However, a grassroots coalition that supports home-grown medical marijuana is trying to rally support for a constitutional challenge of the changes by setting up a trust fund and asking anyone with a medical marijuana licence to join the effort.

Coalition co-founder Jason Wilcox says all people should have the right to access affordable and quality cannabis for medical use by legally producing it themselves.

- - The Canadian Press

[end]

39CN BC: Drug Sweep Aimed At Prolific OffendersWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Spalding, Derek Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/19/2012

An undercover operation in downtown Victoria has led to 27 drug-trafficking charges and the arrest of seven prolific offenders who could see maximum jail time if convicted, police say.

Twenty-one people have been charged in the past few weeks in what Victoria police call Operation Snowflake.

The street-level drug busts are part of a winter action plan that also includes a crackdown on property crime, pedestrian traffic accidents and drinking and driving.

Police say they were responding to a noticeable increase in drug traffic around View and Douglas streets as well as the 800 and 900 blocks of Pandora Avenue.

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40 CN BC: Editorial: New Marijuana Rules Ugly Anti-Citizen MoveWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Cowichan Valley Citizen (CN BC)          Area:British Columbia Lines:77 Added:12/19/2012

I wonder which federal government crony is about to get rich off the new rules that the feds have announced regarding production of medical marijuana.

We published an editorial not long ago about why we think marijuana should be legalized, as a couple of U. S. states have now done.

Yet here the Conservatives go in the opposite direction, making it more restrictive, even for those who use it medicinally.

And all for the benefit of what we can only imagine will be a few big companies, possibly even the same big pharmaceutical companies that already make billions off of people's poor health.

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41 CN BC: Prices Of Medical Marijuana Might Be Going UpWed, 19 Dec 2012
Source:Comox Valley Record (CN BC) Author:Stanfield, Scott Area:British Columbia Lines:69 Added:12/19/2012

The federal government is looking to eliminate licensed medical marijuana grow-ops in homes.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced Sunday a planned shift to a new system of regulated commercial producers of medical pot who will supply authorized users with a doctor's prescription.

The plan could adversely affect the North Island Compassion Club, which sells medicinal marijuana and other medications such as cannabis-infused oil to help people who live with cancer and other ailments.

"There's nothing in these new regulations that allow for compassion clubs," said NICC manager Ernie Yacub, noting government is considering allowing nurse practitioners to prescribe medical marijuana. "They would absolutely have to do that because doctors have been the problem. They've been the gatekeeper. They won't prescribe."

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42CN BC: Bias Let Pickton Keep On KillingTue, 18 Dec 2012
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Keller, James Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/19/2012

'They were poor, aboriginal, drug addicted and they were not taken seriously'

Bias against the poor, drug-addicted sex workers in Vancouver's troubled Downtown Eastside led to a series of failures that allowed serial killer Robert Pickton to spend years hunting his victims unimpeded by police, a public inquiry has found. Commissioner Wally Oppal's 1,448-page final report, released Monday, chronicles years of mistakes that allowed Pickton to lure dozens of women to his farm in Port Coquitlam, with little interference from police and even less concern from the public.

[continues 451 words]

43 CN BC: Larsen Hopes For 2014 Cannabis ReferendumThu, 13 Dec 2012
Source:Oceanside Star (BC) Author:Burnett, Stewart Area:British Columbia Lines:79 Added:12/16/2012

Sensible Policing Act Means BC Would Stop Enforcing Federal Possession Laws

If his Sensible BC campaign can secure enough signatures next year, Dana Larsen, co-founder of the BC Marijuana Party and former BC NDP leader candidate, hopes that in September 2014 there will be a referendum on decriminalizing marijuana possession in the province.

"The success of the anti-HST campaign shows that it can be done," Larsen told a small group in Parksville last week.

His Sensible Policing Act would effectively decriminalize marijuana possession in BC.

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44 CN BC: Edu: OPED: Marijuana Legalization Needed In CanadaThu, 13 Dec 2012
Source:Martlet (CN BC Edu) Author:Martin, Erica Area:British Columbia Lines:71 Added:12/16/2012

The recent legalization of marijuana by the states of Colorado and Washington shows that attitudes towards the drug have been changing.

A Canadian poll recently cited in the Toronto Star revealed that 65 per cent of Canadians support either legalization and taxation of the drug or decriminalizing it in small amounts. These aren't just the votes belonging to your campus college liberal meme or peacenik hippie. As a whole, Canada is tuning into the economic and societal benefits of legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana.

[continues 440 words]

45 CN BC: PUB LTE: Drug Policy Out Of TouchFri, 14 Dec 2012
Source:Penticton Western (CN BC) Author:Bruncke, Lora Area:British Columbia Lines:49 Added:12/15/2012

Oh Canada, are we are at odds on yet another very emotional issue? Oil . gas ... China? I want to thank Harry G. Kapeikis for sharing his perspective. I hope all levels of governments will work together to determine if oil and gas lobbyists are being honest with us. I fear they may be trying to take advantage of the 'niceness' of Canadians.

I also find MP Dan Albas open to discussion. If anyone is concerned with the China-Canada Trade Deal (FIFA) or the direction the Conservatives are taking us, pick up the phone or stop in at his office. Dan could use our support, praise and advice.

[continues 200 words]

46 CN BC: Campaign Seeking Pot ReferendumFri, 14 Dec 2012
Source:Comox Valley Record (CN BC) Author:Stanfield, Scott Area:British Columbia Lines:53 Added:12/15/2012

As he tours Vancouver Island, Dana Larsen is promoting the Sensible Policing Act in an effort to decriminalize cannabis possession in B.C.

Larsen - director of the Vancouver Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary who sought the provincial NDP leadership last year - spoke to supporters Saturday at the Filberg Centre in Courtenay.

He is leading a Sensible BC campaign in hopes of securing a referendum on the act. Volunteers will collect signatures next year from September to November. If 10 per cent of registered voters in every riding in B.C. sign the petition, a referendum would occur in September 2014.

[continues 198 words]

47CN BC: OPED: Five Years For Harm-reduction Services Too LongThu, 13 Dec 2012
Source:Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC) Author:Willson, Mark Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/15/2012

The Vancouver Island Health Authority's announcement of the return of fixed-site needle-exchange services ("service hubs") to Victoria, after five years of false starts and delays, raises some important questions.

Why is VIHA taking so long to reintroduce this basic harm-reduction service? Can Victoria residents be confident we won't see similar implementation failures when it comes to other components of health policy, such as supervised consumption services or drug and alcohol maintenance programs?

Five years is a long time for a health authority to fail to provide services mandated by the province.

[continues 558 words]

48 CN BC: LTE: Recreational Marijuana Use Will Create RisksWed, 12 Dec 2012
Source:Kamloops Daily News (CN BC) Author:Noakes, John Area:British Columbia Lines:69 Added:12/15/2012

Yesterday's news is old news, I know, but something came to mind after I watched a crowd of people smoking pot while celebrating the legalization of "recreational" pot use in Washington State.

What came to mind was an old skit done by Bob Newhart. For people of my age (mid-50s), you have likely heard Bob Newhart doing the vocal part of the head of the West Indies Company in England in a telephone conversation with Sir Walter Raleigh, who had called him from the colonies in North America.

[continues 338 words]

49CN BC: Column: Feel-good Commercials May Be Too Late For ClarkThu, 13 Dec 2012
Source:Province, The (CN BC) Author:Smyth, Michael Area:British Columbia Lines:Excerpt Added:12/15/2012

Two things Premier Christy Clark really wants for Christmas: A big boost in tax revenue and an even bigger boost in the opinion polls.

So why not legalize marijuana? After all, a large majority of British Columbians now support legalizing pot (75 per cent, according to pollster Angus Reid) and taxes on legal bud could generate $500 million a year, says the International Journal of Drug Policy.

But Clark won't touch the issue with a 10-foot bong.

"It's not even provincial jurisdiction, so I'm not spending my time prognosticating about it," Clark told me in a wide-ranging, year-end interview in her office this week.

[continues 415 words]

50 CN BC: Abbotsford Pot Activist Acquitted After Illegal PoliceThu, 13 Dec 2012
Source:Abbotsford Times (CN BC) Author:Baker, Rochelle Area:British Columbia Lines:85 Added:12/15/2012

An Abbotsford marijuana advocate charged with drug trafficking was acquitted Monday when a judge tossed out the evidence after ruling a police search violated the accused's Charter rights.

Pot activist Tim Felger was charged with one count of possession and six counts of drug trafficking after Abbotsford Police raided his Da Kine shop on Essendene Avenue in Abbotsford on May 13, 2009.

Chilliwack Supreme Court Justice Brian Joyce had ruled on Oct. 26 that Abbotsford Police had conducted an unlawful search at Da Kine, but reserved his decision about what evidence, if any, from the search would be allowed.

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